If it passes, Eldad's "anti-Islamization legislation" would require both Jewish and Arab citizens to serve either in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) or to do national (civil) service.

Additionally, as a precondition to voting in national elections, all Israeli citizens would be required to affirm their loyalty to Israel "as a Jewish, democratic state."

Eldad believes the bill would help curb illegal construction, an ongoing problem in Arab areas.

"I am trying to preserve the State of Israel as a Jewish state," Eldad told The Jerusalem Post.

"I am trying to struggle against both a post-Zionist trend and a trend of 'Islamization' of some citizens of Israel who are saying we no longer need a Jewish state and that this should be a bi-national state of Jews and Muslims," he said.

Not unexpectedly, Arab reaction to Eldad's proposed legislation was swift.

Calling the bill "discriminatory," Arab MK Ibrahim Sarsour, chairman of the United Arab List- Ta'al party, said Arabs would fight its passage.

According to Sarsour, such legislation would deprive the Arab minority of its rightful place in Israeli society.

"We will go on struggling within the limitations of Israeli law, by peaceful means, [so] that Israel will be a state of all its citizens, not a Jewish state or a state of the Jewish community [that makes Arabs] "a passing minority."

Most Arab leaders are not in favor of their youth integrating with Jews in the Israeli military or civil service. They would rather provide separate programs in which Arab youth would serve their own communities.